318 



KIDD'S OAVN JOURNAL. 



an acid nature, is at once neutralised by the 

 application of this penetrating and volatile 

 alkali. A small quantity introduced into the 

 wound on the point of a needle, or fine-nibbed 

 pen, and applied as soon as possible, will 

 scarcely ever fail. — R. B. 



Feigning Death to Save Life. — Self-preser- 

 vation seems to be an inherent principle in 

 animals — a dread of pain and suffering, and a 

 consciousness of death ; which consciousness must 

 be of the highest order in some animals, since 

 they feign that death as the last remaining 

 struggle for self-preservation, when all other hopes 

 have failed. An implanted knowledge of the 

 termination of life must exist, or its effects would 

 not be feigned, nor the anxiety for safety be so 

 paramount an object. It cannot be example that 

 sets the fox to simulate death so perfectly that he 

 permits himself to be handled, to be conveyed to 

 a distant spot, and then to be flung on a dunghill. 

 The ultimate hope of escape prompts the measure, 

 which unaided instinct could not have contrived. 

 What we, humanly speaking, call knowledge of 

 the world, (which is the mainspring of half our 

 acts and plans,) is the result of deep observation 

 of character, and of the leading principles which 

 influence society ; and this would apply very well 

 with fox in relation to fox. But the analogy must 

 cease here ; and we can only say that this artifice 

 of the fox is an extraordinary display of high 

 cunning, great self-confidence, and strong reso- 

 lution. There are many insects, particularly the 

 genus Elater, the spider, and the dorr-beetle, which 

 feign death when seized by the hand. — Thompson. 



Nunneries, Convents, and Monasteries. — These 

 nurseries of crime and wickedness, Mr. Editor, 

 are at last — thank God ! — about to be placed under 

 some surveillance. Both yourself and readers 

 will, I am sure, be glad to know that Mr. Cham- 

 bees' motion for leave to bring in a Bill connected 

 with the subject, has, after much opposition, just 

 been carried. People brought up against their 

 will in these hot-beds of vice and pollution will 

 now be able, by legal means, to obtain their dis- 

 charge. It was high time to interfere ; but, as 

 you will admit, "better late than never." — A 

 (now happy) Protestant Parent, May 11. 



[We rejoice at this, Sir, quite as much as you 

 can do. We are but too well aware of the horrors 

 which rule in these foul dungeons of uncleanness 

 and hideous depravity.] 



The Heliotrope. — My plan of propagating this is 

 as follows : — At the end of July, I select tops of 

 young shoots, from three to four inches in length ; 

 cut them square (i.e. horizontally) at the bottom, 

 close under a leaf, taking a few of the lower leaves 

 away. I then insert them in a mixture of loam, 

 rotten leaf-mould, and a little sand. I do not top 

 them. I generally put from 40 to 50 cuttings in 

 a broad shallow pot, and place them in a cold 

 frame, sprinkling them now and then, to keep 

 them moderately moist, and shading them from 

 the sun. In this way, rarely one in 40 fails to 

 grow. When rooted, I pot them off, from four to 

 six in a pot, according to the size of the latter ; 

 preferring a certain number in one pot to a multi- 

 tude of small pots. They are then stopped, and 



may remain until the following March, when they 

 must be potted off singly, for the decoration of 

 the parterre. — W. Brown, Merevale. 



The Skylark, the Robin, Chaffinch, Cuckoo, &c. 

 — Your noble appeal to man's better nature in the 

 matter of imprisoning our little " free songsters," 

 does you honor. I observe that your article on 

 the subject has been copied far and near. May it 

 have the effect you intended it to have ! Brutal 

 indeed must be the heart that could, at such a 

 season as this, take pleasure in acts of spoliation 

 and robbery ! [You are right, Heartsease. Brutal 

 indeed must it be — brutal indeed is it. Already 

 do we behold remnants of nests torn out of the 

 hedges ; and see thousands of little beautifully- 

 spotted eggs exposed for sale in the highways. 

 Callow nestlings, too, meet our eye at every turn 

 — many of them at their last gasp ! The stolid 

 faces of the robbers show that they have no heart 

 beneath their vest. Hence, to argue with them 

 would be folly. The sight is sickening ; and the 

 mind revolts at the barbarity. We would think 

 well of human nature if we could — but is it pos- 

 sible ?] The sky-larks now revel in enjoyment. 

 I watch them and listen to them early and late. 

 What music ! what ecstatic delight as they enter 

 Heaven's precincts ! I can tell where they have 

 been,by the celestial strains that accompany them 

 in their descent. Our chaffinches are now all 

 either building their nests or attending on their 

 young. The cuckoo is right merry, singing away 

 from morning to night. The swallows too, and 

 our other summer visitors, have made our garden 

 their home. Ours is a paradise of harmless 

 delights. One of our pet robins has built its nest 

 and hatched its young family, in a small watering 

 pot. Being rusty and worn out, it was thrown 

 carelessly into a hedge ; and whilst suspended 

 there, the odd idea of using it as a nursery sug- 

 gested itself to the happy pair, who, having fur- 

 nished it with oak leaves, now live in it rent-free. 

 I only hope they may escape the fangs of those 

 horrible cats ! To see such very tame darlings torn 

 to pieces would be heart-rending. As for the 

 garden and its attractions, the flowers, the bees, 

 the blossoms, &c, fain would I say "Come and see 

 them ! " Our Editor will always be welcome, I 

 am sure, wherever he may go. — Heartsease, 

 Hants. 



[Thanks many, gentle Heartsease. We will, 

 D.V., come and see what you so prettily and 

 attractively record. Our " Engagement Book " 

 is, we observe, filling fast. May the summer 

 continue for a twelvemonth at least! Talking 

 of those cats, reminds us that we have a tale to 

 tell about that nest of seven robins, whose 

 exodus from the green-house took place some 

 weeks since. Of the whole family one only 

 lives — the other six were torn limb from limb 

 by two savage cats. Vain was it to attempt 

 to drive them away. They haunted those poor 

 little helpless nestlings from morning till night, 

 till, one by one, they fell — either from fright or 

 weakness, into their enemy's jaws. Retribution 

 has done its work. Those cats, and some half- 

 dozen others, preying upon our grounds, sleep in 

 the dust. We have sworn an eternal war against 

 the race, and our oath shall be held sacred. If 

 people will keep cats, and daily divide a half- 



